Keeping track of users and passwords in today's enterprise is a daunting task. Oblix NetPoint 6.0 ($25 per user) will help organizations achieve single sign-on (SSO), in which users log on just once to gain access to all the Web applications they use.

NetPoint can be deployed under Microsoft Windows, Linux, Solaris, or Unix. The product requires an LDAP directory server with support for IBM SecureWay, Microsoft Active Directory (with or without ADSI), Novell eDirectory, or Sun ONE Directory Server.

Rolling out any enterprise security solution takes planning and time. The graphical setup utilities in NetPoint automate the steps required to install the six components. The two main utilities are the COREid Server (for managing users, groups, and organizations) and the Access Manager (for locking down digital assets such as Web pages).

NetPoint lets different components communicate between and within your firewall and DMZ safely. Support for SSL and digital certificates means your password and data need never be transmitted in the clear. (Among other standards supported are PKI, VeriSign certificates, Microsoft Passport, and SAML.) APIs using C and Java are available to integrate NetPoint with legacy systems.

Once we were up and running with a sample corporate directory for a model auto company, the real power of the Web-based COREid system console became clear. Not only does the console let you add and modify users and groups, the access to organizations it permits can mean a higher level of control for larger, more complex enterprises. Better yet, certain users can be marked as "delegated administrators" for modifying other users' rights, saving busy administrators time.

A winning feature is the ability to define workflows for users and administrators so that common business tasks can take place without extra IT support. We tested this by setting up self-registration for new users.

For locking down Web content against authenticated digital identities, we used the separate Web-based Access Manager console to control access to Web files. You can also protect Enterprise JavaBeanbased applications and other document types.

Manage Identities with NetPoint

Richard V. Dragan, a contributing editor of PC Magazine, has written over 250 articles and reviews for the magazine and other Ziff Davis publications since 1992. From 1994 to 1998 he authored a programming column for Computer Shopper. He has taught C++ and Windows programming at Columbia University since 1990, and Java since 1997.
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